DEA Special Agent Test Battery

You watch a 60-second video showing a suspect leaving a convenience store. The suspect is wearing a red baseball cap, a black hoodie, and tan cargo pants, and carries a blue backpack. Based only on the video, which option best describes the suspect's outerwear?

• ABlack baseball cap and red hoodie
• BRed baseball cap and black hoodie
• CRed baseball cap and tan hoodie
• DBlack baseball cap and tan hoodie

In the same convenience store video, the suspect entered the store, walked to the back cooler, took a single bottle, returned to the counter, and left through the front door. Which sequence correctly describes the suspect's movement?

• AFront door, counter, back cooler, front door
• BFront door, back cooler, counter, front door
• CBack cooler, front door, counter, front door
• DCounter, back cooler, front door, front door

A surveillance scenario describes a white sedan with license plate 7XK-294, a dent on the rear driver-side door, and tinted rear windows. Which option is the best match to identify the vehicle later?

• AWhite sedan, plate 7XK-294, dent on rear driver-side door
• BSilver sedan, plate 7XK-294, dent on front passenger door
• CWhite sedan, plate 7KX-294, dent on rear driver-side door
• DWhite sedan, plate 7XK-294, tinted front windows only

You read a witness description: 'The man was approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, between 30 and 35 years old, with a full dark beard, brown eyes, and a small scar above his left eyebrow.' Which suspect best matches this description?

• A5'10", age 32, full dark beard, brown eyes, scar above right eyebrow
• B5'10", age 33, full dark beard, brown eyes, scar above left eyebrow
• C6'0", age 34, full dark beard, brown eyes, scar above left eyebrow
• D5'10", age 33, clean-shaven, brown eyes, scar above left eyebrow

A scenario states that three suspects entered a warehouse at 9:42 PM, that one suspect carried a duffel bag, that the lead suspect wore a gray jacket, and that the trailing suspect wore a green windbreaker. What did the lead suspect wear?

• AGreen windbreaker
• BGray jacket
• CBlack hoodie
• DBlue raincoat

You watch a video of a hand-to-hand exchange. The buyer hands over cash, then the seller hands over a small plastic bag. The buyer walks away first; the seller waits 15 seconds before leaving in the opposite direction. Which event happened second?

• ASeller hands over the plastic bag
• BBuyer hands over cash
• CBuyer walks away
• DSeller leaves in the opposite direction

A vehicle description reads: 'Late-model black SUV, partial plate beginning with letters BLR, chrome roof rack, paper temporary tag in the rear window.' Which detail best distinguishes this vehicle from another late-model black SUV at the same scene?

• AChrome roof rack and BLR partial plate
• BBlack exterior
• CLate-model body style
• DSUV body style

In a video, four people are present in a hallway: a woman in a navy coat, a man in a brown jacket, a teenager in a hoodie, and a man carrying a clipboard. The man with the clipboard is the only person to enter Room 204. Who entered Room 204?

• AThe woman in the navy coat
• BThe man in the brown jacket
• CThe teenager in the hoodie
• DThe man carrying the clipboard

A witness reports: 'I saw a delivery van leave at 8:17 PM, then a red pickup leave at 8:22 PM, then a motorcycle leave at 8:25 PM.' Which vehicle left second?

• ADelivery van
• BRed pickup
• CMotorcycle
• DCannot be determined

A scenario shows a suspect with a tattoo of an anchor on the right forearm and a tattoo of a star on the left wrist. Which option best describes the suspect's tattoos?

• AAnchor on the left forearm, star on the right wrist
• BAnchor on the right forearm, star on the left wrist
• CAnchor on the right wrist, star on the left forearm
• DAnchor on the left wrist, star on the right forearm

Four cars enter a parking lot in this order: blue sedan, white pickup, gray hatchback, silver coupe. Which car is the third to enter?

• ABlue sedan
• BWhite pickup
• CGray hatchback
• DSilver coupe

A passage states: 'The taller suspect entered first and carried the green duffel; the shorter suspect entered second and carried a tan briefcase.' Who carried the briefcase?

• AThe taller suspect
• BThe shorter suspect
• CBoth suspects
• DNeither suspect

A surveillance log lists five plates seen at a stash house: 4FG-217, 4GF-217, 4FG-127, 4FG-271, 4FG-217. Which plate appears twice?

• A4FG-217
• B4GF-217
• C4FG-127
• D4FG-271

A scenario describes a meeting at 'the corner of 3rd Avenue and Elm Street between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM.' Based on the scenario alone, what is the earliest time the meeting could have started?

• A6:30 PM
• B7:00 PM
• C7:15 PM
• D7:30 PM

A passage states: 'Suspect A handed Suspect B a sealed envelope. Suspect B opened the envelope, removed a key, and handed the envelope back to Suspect A.' Who ended up with the key?

• ASuspect A
• BSuspect B
• CBoth suspects
• DNeither suspect

A description reads: 'White male, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, 220 pounds, shaved head, no facial hair, gold chain around the neck, gray sweatshirt with a torn left sleeve.' Which distinguishing feature is the strongest identifier?

• AWhite male
• BApproximately 6 feet 2 inches tall
• CTorn left sleeve on gray sweatshirt
• DApproximately 220 pounds

A scenario describes a phone exchange: at 6:01 PM Suspect A texted 'meet at the diner,' at 6:04 PM Suspect B replied 'on my way,' at 6:18 PM Suspect A texted 'park behind the dumpster,' and at 6:20 PM Suspect B replied 'ok.' Which message was sent third?

• A'meet at the diner'
• B'on my way'
• C'park behind the dumpster'
• D'ok'

In a surveillance video, a courier wears a yellow safety vest, carries a brown package, and rides a red bicycle. After a 30-second pause, the courier is replaced by a second courier in a green vest carrying a white package and riding the same red bicycle. Which fact remained constant?

• AVest color
• BPackage color
• CBicycle
• DCourier identity

A passage describes a room with a wooden desk, a black filing cabinet, a tan lamp, and a small safe under the desk. The suspect places a stack of cash inside the safe and a small notebook inside the filing cabinet. Where is the notebook?

• AInside the safe
• BInside the filing cabinet
• COn the wooden desk
• DNext to the tan lamp

A scenario notes a green pickup truck with license plate W43-8821 and a damaged front passenger headlight. Later, an officer reports a green pickup with plate W43-8821 and an intact headlight. Which fact differs?

• AVehicle color
• BLicense plate
• CVehicle type
• DHeadlight condition

A passage reads: 'At 10:14 AM, a man in a brown coat entered the bank. At 10:16 AM, he approached the teller. At 10:18 AM, he passed a note. At 10:19 AM, he left through the south doors.' Which option correctly lists the man's actions in order?

• AEntered, left, passed note, approached teller
• BEntered, approached teller, passed note, left
• CApproached teller, entered, passed note, left
• DEntered, passed note, approached teller, left

A scenario lists four packages observed during a controlled buy: Package A is a brown envelope, Package B is a white plastic bag, Package C is a small metal tin, and Package D is a clear ziplock pouch. Which package is opaque and rigid?

• APackage A (brown envelope)
• BPackage B (white plastic bag)
• CPackage C (small metal tin)
• DPackage D (clear ziplock pouch)

A surveillance description states: 'The courier wore a black baseball cap with a white logo on the front. The logo showed two crossed keys.' A photo lineup shows four caps. Which cap best matches?

• ABlack cap with no logo
• BBlack cap with a white logo of two crossed keys
• CWhite cap with a black logo of two crossed keys
• DBlack cap with a white logo of a single key

A passage states the team observed three deliveries in one hour: at 1:05 PM, 1:27 PM, and 1:48 PM. How many minutes passed between the first and the third delivery?

• A22 minutes
• B43 minutes
• C48 minutes
• D21 minutes

A scenario describes Suspect X as 'left-handed, wearing a silver watch on his right wrist.' On which wrist is the watch?

• ALeft wrist
• BRight wrist
• CBoth wrists
• DCannot be determined

A scenario lists three vehicles arriving at a warehouse: a blue van (driver: tall man with a beard), a black sedan (driver: woman with red hair), and a white SUV (driver: short man in glasses). Who drove the sedan?

• ATall man with a beard
• BWoman with red hair
• CShort man in glasses
• DUnknown driver

A surveillance description says the suspect 'entered Apartment 4B, stayed for 12 minutes, then left and entered Apartment 4D.' Which apartment did the suspect enter second?

• AApartment 4A
• BApartment 4B
• CApartment 4C
• DApartment 4D

A scene description states: 'A blue backpack contained $5,400 in cash. A red duffel bag contained two cell phones. A black laptop case contained one laptop and a USB drive.' Where was the USB drive found?

• ABlue backpack
• BRed duffel bag
• CBlack laptop case
• DOn the suspect's person

A description states: 'The suspect spoke with a slight accent, used the phrase "as I was saying" twice during the conversation, and ended the conversation with the word "later."' Which detail is most useful to identify the suspect from a different recorded call?

• ASlight accent
• BUse of the phrase 'as I was saying' twice
• CUse of the word 'later' to end the call
• DAll three details combined

A passage describes a vehicle 'with three antennas on the trunk, a roof-mounted GPS unit, and a yellow sticker on the rear bumper that reads K9.' Which combination of features is the strongest identifier?

• AThree antennas, roof-mounted GPS, K9 sticker
• BThree antennas alone
• CRoof-mounted GPS alone
• DYellow sticker alone

Which sentence is grammatically correct for use in an incident report?

• AThe suspect, who was wearing a black jacket, fled the scene on foot.
• BThe suspect who was wearing a black jacket fled, the scene on foot.
• CThe suspect who, was wearing a black jacket fled the scene on foot.
• DThe suspect who was wearing, a black jacket, fled the scene on foot.

Which sentence uses subject-verb agreement correctly?

• AEach of the agents were assigned to a surveillance post.
• BEach of the agents was assigned to a surveillance post.
• CEach of the agent's were assigned to a surveillance post.
• DEach of the agents are assigned to a surveillance post.

Which sentence is clearest for an incident report?

• AThe vehicle was observed by me as it sped through the intersection on Main Street.
• BI observed the vehicle speed through the Main Street intersection.
• CIt was through the Main Street intersection that the vehicle was observed by me speeding.
• DThe vehicle, speeding, was observed by me, through the Main Street intersection.

Which version best combines the following facts into a single clear sentence: (1) The suspect entered the bar at 9:15 PM. (2) The suspect ordered a drink. (3) The suspect spoke with a man wearing a red jacket.

• AEntering the bar at 9:15 PM, the suspect was ordering a drink and was speaking to a man w…
• BAt 9:15 PM, the suspect entered the bar, ordered a drink, and spoke with a man wearing a…
• CThe suspect, having entered the bar at 9:15 PM, was the one ordering a drink and speaking…
• D9:15 PM was when the suspect entered the bar to order a drink and to speak with the man w…

Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?

• AEvery officer must turn in their report before the shift ends.
• BEvery officer must turn in his or her report before the shift ends.
• CEvery officer must turn in there report before the shift ends.
• DEvery officer must turn in they report before the shift ends.

Which sentence avoids a misplaced modifier?

• ADriving slowly through the alley, the suspect spotted the surveillance van.
• BDriving slowly through the alley, the surveillance van was spotted by the suspect.
• CThe suspect, driving slowly through the alley, spotted the surveillance van.
• DDriving slowly, the suspect through the alley spotted the surveillance van.

Which sentence is the most concise and grammatically correct?

• ADue to the fact that the suspect was uncooperative, I made the decision to take him into…
• BBecause the suspect was uncooperative, I took him into custody.
• COwing to the fact that the suspect was uncooperative in nature, I went ahead and took him…
• DOn account of the fact that the suspect was being uncooperative, the decision was made by…

Which sentence uses correct verb tense for an incident report describing events that happened earlier today?

• AI observe the suspect, who hands the package to an unknown male.
• BI had observed the suspect, who had handed the package to an unknown male.
• CI observed the suspect, who handed the package to an unknown male.
• DI am observing the suspect, who is handing the package to an unknown male.

Which sentence uses commas correctly in a list?

• AWe recovered cash a digital scale and a ledger from the residence.
• BWe recovered cash, a digital scale, and a ledger from the residence.
• CWe, recovered cash, a digital scale and a ledger, from the residence.
• DWe recovered, cash, a digital scale and, a ledger from the residence.

Which sentence uses 'effect' and 'affect' correctly?

• AThe arrest had no effect on the suspect's demeanor, but the cold weather did affect his s…
• BThe arrest had no affect on the suspect's demeanor, but the cold weather did effect his s…
• CThe arrest had no effect on the suspect's demeanor, but the cold weather did effect his s…
• DThe arrest had no affect on the suspect's demeanor, but the cold weather did affect his s…

Which sentence is best for the opening of an incident report?

• AStuff happened tonight at the corner of 4th and Main, which I will now describe.
• BOn May 12, 2026, at approximately 22:14 hours, I responded to a reported narcotics compla…
• CThere was a really bad situation at 4th and Main last night that I had to deal with.
• DTonight, I got a call and went to 4th and Main where some things went down.

Which sentence has parallel structure?

• AThe suspect was nervous, evasive, and lied about his identity.
• BThe suspect was nervous, evasive, and dishonest about his identity.
• CThe suspect acted nervously, was evasive, and lied about his identity.
• DBeing nervous, evasive, and lying about his identity, the suspect concerned me.

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

• AThe officers reports were filed before the end of the shift.
• BThe officer's reports were filed before the end of the shift.
• CThe officers' reports were filed before the end of the shift.
• DThe officers reports' were filed before the end of the shift.

Which sentence avoids the comma splice?

• AThe suspect denied involvement, the evidence proved otherwise.
• BThe suspect denied involvement; the evidence proved otherwise.
• CThe suspect denied involvement, however, the evidence proved otherwise.
• DThe suspect denied involvement, but, the evidence proved otherwise.

Which sentence avoids the dangling participle?

• AAfter being secured in handcuffs, I read the suspect his Miranda rights.
• BAfter the suspect was secured in handcuffs, I read him his Miranda rights.
• CAfter being secured in handcuffs, the suspect was read his Miranda rights by me.
• DAfter being secured in handcuffs, his Miranda rights were read.

Which sentence correctly uses 'who' versus 'whom'?

• AThe informant who I called provided new details.
• BThe informant whom I called provided new details.
• CThe informant whom called me provided new details.
• DThe informant who called me, provided new details.

Which paragraph structure best fits an incident-report narrative?

• AOpinions first, conclusions next, then facts last.
• BFacts in chronological order, then observations, then actions taken.
• CA single 400-word paragraph covering everything.
• DRandom order based on the writer's recall, with no time stamps.